Full Moons and First Years
by Arabella Black1
Summary: For some mild swearing. Okay, read my bio for the full info on this series that I plan to start. (Let us take time now to hear the rush as commitment-phobics run out of here) This first ch. is about Remus and his parents. Remus is worried about getting in


"See you next term, Remus

Full Moons and First Years

Chapter One

"See you next term, Remus!" Miles shouted across the playground. Remus waved back, and almost got knocked over by his two best friends running up to him.

"Oy, Remmy! You ought to be a bit happier. School's out!" John said, slapping Remus's back. Remus smiled, and then laughed as Alaric chased a group of 1st graders nearly as energetic as him. 

"It's a wonder no one's parents have sued you yet, Al." Remus told him, still laughing as the subdued 1st graders sulked by the swing set.

"Because they know that no cage could hold me!" he said, hopping down the sidewalk by John and Remus, off the school grounds now.

"Cage? I was thinking more along the lines of a room lined with mattresses…" John said, and all three laughed. John, Remus, and Alaric seemed a hugely unlikely trio. John Cook, a bit short and chubby, was the class clown, the kid whom all the teachers despised. He was well liked and a famous name in the school, even when he wasn't an upperclassman. Alaric Dregthilt was eccentric and active. His brown hair was as long as some of the girls and was always bouncing from one thing to another. Remus Lupin was a very quiet boy, the loner, and was often out sick.

The three were talking about the first soccer game of the season, (West Ham against Manchester) when Remus was dropped off at his house with hearty waves. Remus climbed the stone steps, got the mail, and petted his cat, Woolly. He fumbled in his pocket for his key.

"Hello, Remus." Remus's father said. He was carefully minding four or five pots on the oven. 

"Hi, Dad." Remus said, putting the mail on the counter. His father gave a sigh of frustration.

"I wish your mother would give me more notice when people from the ministry were going to visit, Remus. What on earth do wizards like to eat?"

"Same thing as Mum eats, I expect. Don't ask me, I'm no more of a wizard than you are, dad." Remus said, plopping on the couch.

"That's nonsense. Of course you're a wizard. Your mother said you would be, and you will be. I've noticed you've stopped checking the mail." Mr. Lupin said with a twinge of concern in his voice.

"Dumbledore doesn't want anyone like me in the school. I don't blame him. I know that I've tried to rip you and mum to shreds when there's a full moon. What's stopping me from doing that to other students?" 

"That Sleeping Potion your mother brews up. And a lock on the basement door." 

"Not Sleeping Potion, Sleeping Draught." Remus told his father instantly. "There's a difference." 

"See? You _are_ more of a wizard than me. Of course you are! Mom said herself that she hadn't gotten _her_ acceptance letter until three weeks into July."

"She's just trying to make me feel better. I saw her letter. It's clearly dated June 20th." Remus looked down at his feet. He couldn't help pitying himself.He would never be a wizard. He would always be "that skinny quiet kid who never comes to school".An outcast, that was him. John would always be popular, slowly drift away from Remus and Alaric. Soon he would forget them in place of other popular kids and girls. And Alaric? He was a good friend, but how we he react when Remus told him his mum was a witch? Or when Remus said he was a werewolf? Go run screaming toward the hills and not come back. Of course, Remus wouldn't be surprised if Alaric did that just for fun, but still…

Remus sat on the couch, staring absent-mindedly at the horrible wallpaper his mother put up all over the house. In the Muggle world he was a freak. In the wizard world he was a freak with fangs. 

_ _

_But, Remus… Mum's always said that Dumbledore is the best Headmaster Hogwarts ever had. Why would she say that right in front_ _of you__ if she didn't think you'd go to Hogwarts? Check the mail!_ Said that little voice in Remus's head.

"Fine. I'll check the stupid mail. But there isn't going to be anything there." Remus said out loud.

"That's my boy! And I'll wager anything that letter will be there." His dad said confidently. 

Remus got up. Reluctantly, he grabbed the pile of mail off the counter.

"Bill… Bill… You May Have Already Won 1,000,000 Pounds! Oh, what jolly good luck we have… Bill… Card for your birthday, dad, from Uncle Nigel, two months late-" 

"Bastard. He _would_ forget to send it out. It probably reeks of rum."

"And a sales paper. That's all. I told you. No letter." He slammed the mail back on the counter. "See, Dad? Dumbledore thinks I'm as much a freak as everyone does." He paused, wondering if he dare say what he wanted to say next. Finally, "They're going to put me in an asylum." Remus's father looked like he'd just been slapped. Remus glared. 

"I've heard you and Mum talking about me, when you think I'm sleeping. Just like all werewolves. I'm going to the loony bin, and my roommate's going to be Napoleon, if I don't get my letter. And I'm not going to get my letter. Let me go upstairs and practice my French accent so me and Mr. Bonaparte have something to talk about." Remus was ready to go straight to his room and hurl everything at the wall. They were going to have a legitimate reason, at least, to send him to the cuckoo's nest. But his Dad grabbed his shoulder.

"Remus, your mother and I will not let _anyone_ take you away. You have the whole summer before anyone even starts talking about that. Enjoy it. If you don't get accepted, you will just go to a regular middle school. No harm. And _no asylum_." His dad said, looking him square in the eyes.

"Yeah, all right, dad." Remus wanted to believe his father. But the tears in his eyes and the anxiety in his voice only confirmed his thoughts. Deciding he'd better change the subject and get his dad back to the stove before there was a gallon of soup overflowing the pot, he asked, "When's mom coming home?"

"Oh!" His dad said, and ran back into the kitchen.

"Good evening, good evening!" 

Remus's mother stood at the door greeting the six Ministry officials as they came in through the door. They smiled at her and hung their cloaks on the hat rack. Remus could name a few. There was Mortimer Kaiss, a stern-looking man who Remus knew very well, as he was the Head of the Control of Magical Creatures department. And Anubis Smith, the Head of International Relations department. Remus assumed one of them was an Auror, because he was very old, (the last time Aurors were really needed was when the Dark wizard Grindelwald was terrorizing Europe)and had many scars on his face. Remus couldn't guess who the other three were. His mother, Head of the Magical Investigations department, was the only woman.

"Good evening." Remus's mom said again. She pointed to Remus, who was standing a few feet away from the door. "This is my son, Remus." A couple smiled at Remus, the rest just nodded. Remus thought this to be a bit odd. Everyone wore a grim look on their face, though varying greatly in the degree. His mother, too, was acting nervous. She was twittering about, smiling a little too brightly, her eyes darting around. Remus hadn't thought whatever they were going to discuss would be so serious.

"Come, sit down! Dinner should be ready in a few minutes. My husband cooked it, the Muggle way, but I assure you it's as good as anything that ever came from a wand. He's a professional chef, you know." There were vague murmurs from the officials, "Smells wonderful" and "I can't wait". It didn't sound like it, though. They were monotonous. _This must be something really bad, if everybody's acting this way._ Then Remus had another unpleasant thought. _They're probably going to talk about me. Dumbledore told them he wasn't going to send me a letter. They've come to take me away early._

Remus looked down at the floor. He'd suddenly lost his appetite. 

Small talk had been made all through dinner. Comments on the weather, how good the food was, how splendid the house looked. Remus wished he didn't have to be there. He didn't think he could take another compliment. _Why don't they just get on with it?_ Remus wondered, stabbing his now-cold roast chicken with his fork. _Do they think they're sparing my feelings? Well, aren't they a clever bunch. I already know what they're here for. Even if I didn't, I'd find out anyway._

"Dessert!" Remus's dad said. Mom got out her wand and tapped the table, making all the plates clean again. His dad brought out a large chocolate cake. This was usually Remus's favorite food, but now, because he knew why his dad made it, he'd sooner eat slugs.

Nonetheless, his dad carved a piece for Remus and placed it in front of him. 

"So, ah, Remus, your mother tells us that your Muggle school just let out. I'll bet you're excited about that, eh?" said Anubis Smith. Remus liked him because he was usually cheerful and had a good sense of humor. But he just couldn't smile back at him.

"Mm-hmm." Remus mumbled, more to his uneaten cake than anyone at the table.

Mortimer White looked across the table to him. He had a way of always speaking down to Remus, as if he were a very stupid creature only just capable of stringing a sentence together. He knew Mr. White didn't like him. And now, very non-chalantly, he asked Remus, "So… have you gotten your acceptance letter from Hogwarts yet?"

Remus was not the only one that gave Mr. White a shocked look. Well, Remus said that he wanted them to tell him right up. He supposed he got his wish.

"Mortimer… He- Well, he'll get his letter soon enough." Anubis said.

"Um, mother? May I be excused from the table?" Remus asked, recalling his manners.

Remus's mom looked worriedly at his full plate, but didn't say anything. 

"Of course you may. I was just going to ask you and your father to leave the table anyway. Important Ministry business."

"Okay." Remus said, and took his plate to the sink. Did she think he was stupid? Ministry business. Ha! His own mother didn't think he could take the news. In fact, his own mother was going to send him away. He ran up the stairs to his room. _I'm not a baby! I've known this was going to happen ever since I was 8! _

_ _

_She doesn't love me. If she loved me, she wouldn't think I'm as dangerous as everyone else, just because some beast bit me! Some mother. I HATE her!_ And perhaps if Remus had not been so caught up in his own thoughts, he would have noticed that quite a few objects in his room were levitating in the air. But he didn't. He had a new idea. Run away.

He dug a suitcase out of his closet. Not really paying attention to what he was doing, he threw anything he grabbed out of his wardrobe onto his bed. A rational thought or two creped into his mind, such as _But Mum and Dad will be worried to death!, Where will you go!, _and_ Maybe you'll get your letter! Maybe it's in the mail!_ But he shoved these to the back of his head. Anything was better than being force-fed chemicals along with King Henry VIII. He stuffed all his clothes on the bed into the suitcase. He could hardly lift it. Remus took a deep breath and opened his window. _That's a long way down…_ he thought, peering over the window. But he wasn't going to chicken out now. It wasn't such a long jump. Perhaps-

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!" A very large something had flown directly into Remus's face. Stunned, Remus grabbed a snow globe that was on his nightstand, ready to kill whatever had just flown in. 

"Remus, are you all right?" he heard his mom say.

"Umm… Yeah, yeah, mum, just fine!" Remus said. His nose hurt. "What the hell…?" He distinctly heard angered hooting.

"_An owl!_" Remus exclaimed, hardly daring to believe it. It surely couldn't have been for his mother, any owl post she got was received at her office. The large brown-and-white owl ruffled his feathers and looked very cross. He dropped a letter on the floor and flew out the window again.

Remus's eyes widened at the letter. The envelope was rather odd in shape, (a perfect square) and made from yellowish paper. Remus picked it up quickly and turned it over. 

Remus Lupin

52 Apian Road

England

And right there Remus was sure he would have a heart attack. He gave himself a paper cut trying to open the letter speedily as was humanly possible. But who cares if he bled a little? This, _this_, could be the happiest moment of his entire life! He pulled out about five pieces of folded papers. Slowly, carefully, he picked the first one apart from the others. 

Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: AlbusDumbledore

Dear Mr. R. Lupin:

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall

_Deputy Headmistress_

Remus choked. He kneeled on the floor, glued to the spot, his mouth hanging open. He couldn't think, he was frozen.In his hands was a piece of paper, quite plainly stating that he was to go off to learn magic like his mum. It did not seem like any joke. What was that thing called, when you get saved from something? An excuse? No… A pardon. A pardon, and not a second too soon. 

But how? Remus had a point when he told his dad that anyone would be insane to accept him into a boarding school. Were they going to give him a Sleeping Draught like his mom did, or what? That did not last long, either, every two hours she had to drop a piece of meat soaked in the stuff down the basement steps. No one got much sleep those three days when the moon shined like the sun, smirking at Remus for the power it had over him. He pulled apart the other papers.

Dear Mr. Lupin,

The staff at Hogwarts are pleased to accept you into our school. We are aware that you have a magical disability, but not such a one that would prohibit your magical career. Therefore, we see it silly not to accept you for something that can be taken care of quite easily. 

Our Herbology professor, Pr. Vervaina Sprout, has grown a rather interesting tree called a Whomping Willow. If somebody goes near it, it's branches flail wildly. Thick branches they are, too. Anyway, she has placed it at the exit of a school tunnel that leads to an abandoned house in the village of Hogsmeade. Our Charms professor, Pr. Owain Flitwick, has enchanted the tree so that when a specific knot is touched the tree freezes. Our school nurse will escort you to this abandoned house during the three days of the full moon. That way, nobody need get hurt.

See you September 1!

Albus Dumbledore __

Albus Dumbledore

That would work! That would actually work! Oh, now Remus knew why his mum always said Dumbledore was the best Headmaster Hogwarts ever had! He laughed and jumped up. His mom and dad would be so proud, Anubis, too. He couldn't wait to see the look on Mr. White's face. That would show him.

"Oh, my God! They're talking about me! About sending me to an asylum… I've got to go tell mum about my letter!" Remus raced to the stairs, but stopped at the loft (with some difficulty- ever try stopping yourself abruptly when you're running? Damn inertia.) with a thought.

_Hmm, maybe I'll listen in to what they're saying. Oooh, if Mr. White says anything bad about me, I'll have him for sure! This will be fun!_

Remus put his head to the waist-high railings. He grabbed two, rather like a prisoner in a movie, to steady himself. His house had conveniently high ceilings, which carried voices from the lower level to the staircase. This was exactly where Remus had been when he first heard his parents talking about what would happen to him if he didn't get his acceptance letter. One could easily hide in the shadows in this wonderful railing-ed loft Remus liked so much. And he stopped thinking for a moment and listened.

"I've already told you, this will not be as easy as you suggest to hide from the muggles! They smarter than you think they are." said the Auror.

"Well, then, what do you propose? It was easy in the thirties, World War II was going on, and we gave the muggles Hitler to explain all that Grindelwald was doing." said Remus's mom.

"Mind you, Hitler _was_ doing plenty without help from Grindelwald. Son of a bitch squib. But this time… This time, the situation is different. The wizard has done much more. He's not just after _wizards_, like Grindelwald, Silvia, he's after muggles, too. How do we keep it all from them?" 

"Stop him! Have you seen what he's done? He has followers! That green skull they use as their symbol… that they send up in the air. It's disgusting. Of course, it's all for power. Few wizards know he even exists, and it will get harder to explain the murders. 12 so far! That we know of, it could be much more."

"I propose that we tell the public, and alert the media. This will not be an easy fight. We need everybody's help."

"Yes, but see, that is what I'm afraid of. This could very easily turn chaotic if we allow. Maybe we could just talk to this wizard, give him what he wants, and throw him into Azkaban."

"No, we can't do that. You know that! He has Dark Powers, and half of the Dementors have joined him. We know that he is speaking with the giants and the vampires. This is a far bigger problem than Azkaban could possibly fix."

"I agree. Perhaps we should not release this to the public just yet. I mean, his very name… _Voldemort._ It's better to see what happens- Remus!" His mother's cry made everybody at the table jump. She stormed to underneath the loft, looking angry and worried. 

"_What_ are you doing up there, hiding from us?" His mother said, barely above a whisper. Whoa. Whatever she had been talking about was obviously _very private information. _

Remus trembled and through the railings, dropped the two papers to his mother.

"I just wanted to tell you… I- I got my acceptance letter from Hogwarts." He said, frightened.

His mom read both letters, and it was amusing to see her eyes widen every second or two. Finally, she looked up at Remus. Tears were building in her eyes.

"Oh, Remus. Come down here." she said apologetically. He walked down the stairs, and his mom gave him a hug.

"Argh! Mom, I'm going to suffocate!"

"I'm sorry I got angry with you. Just don't eavesdrop again, all right? And I'm so proud of you… We'll go pick up your things this week. Now, go back to bed. It's nearly ten o'clock anyway." Remus's mom said, finally letting him out of her bear hug.

Remus changed and got into bed. Even the light sheet was warm in the June air. He was happy, and was looking forward to going to Diagon Alley. He was just drifting into a peaceful sleep, when he remembered something…

"What were they talking about down there?"

A/N: Oh, wow, this is a really long first chapter! Thanks for reading it all the way through! This is the first part in a long story, so please tell me what you think! Next chapter: On Platform 9 and ¾ , Remus meets some rather interesting people, some nice and some, er, not so nice. The POV (Remus's) won't change for this part of the series, but next story it will. Please review and tell me what you truly think! 


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